A device of this kind is disclosed in German patent specification No. 1 486 747 (P 502). In that device, for the purposes of feeding the cut portion of adhesive strip to the sticking station, use is made of the book block itself. The book block is fitted with its back on the working table upstream of the severing blade, the book block gripping a short portion of adhesive strip with the front end of the book block. The adhesive strip which is cut off by the severing blade directly upstream of the leading end of the back of the book block is then entrained along the path, when the book block is moved, until the trailing end of the book block has just passed the severing blade. The severing blade is then operated once again to cut through the adhesive strip, thereby providing a cut portion of adhesive strip which is substantially adapted to the length of the book block and which is stuck to the back of the book block. The book block is then guided along the path to a deposit means for the adhesive strip portion, with the adhesive strip portion being entrained therewith; at that location, the adhesive strip portion is stuck to the book block in a manner which does not concern us here.
When the device is one in which the adhesive strip portion is to be fed alone to the deposit means, and at that location the book block is placed on the adhesive strip portion by means which do not concern us here, then in the known device, it would be necessary to feed the adhesive strip portion by hand. That is disadvantageous because of the danger of soiling, and that operation generally cannot be carried out with the necessary degree of accuracy. Added to that is the fact that, when using an adhesive strip from a fusion-type adhesive, there would be the danger of burning.